With the warm weather now upon us, you may find that your living room has an unruly, lingering odour. This is especially true if you're a smoker or have pets living with you.
Summer can tend to bring out these unruly odours where we spend most of our time -- in the living room, where it clings to carpeting and furniture.
There are many chemical- laden air fresheners on the market today that not only are they unsafe to breathe, people with allergies and asthma, may find them especially irritating. Fortunately, one doesn't have to spend a ton of money or risk their health to make their abode smell wonderful. There are numerous natural ingredients -- many of which you probably already have in-- that can make a home feel refreshed and smell amazing.
Here are just a few ideas as to how you can make your living room smell great!
Essential Oils
Essential oils are an easy way to add a fresh feeling to your living room and create antibacterial properties that can kill germs. Using an eye dropper, simply add these aromatic oils to a spray bottle filled with water and direct the nozzle to your carpets, curtains and furniture. You can also spray your door knobs, telephones, cupboards and basically anything that is touched in your home to prevent nasty germs from spreading.
For the ultimate antibacterial spray that will leave your living room smelling amazing, just add 20 drops of the following essential oils: 20 drops of sweet orange, 10 drops of lavender and 10 drops of eucalyptus in a small jar with a lid and mix well. Simply mix 4-8 drops of this solution to one cup of purified water in a spray bottle and shake to mix. Store in a dark, cool place.
Lemons
Who can resist the clean, fresh, citrusy scent of a lemon? You can simmer slices of lemon on the stove for a wonderful, refreshing scent. Alternatively, you can twist the lemon peel to release the natural oils in the air.
Mint
Simmering a handful of fresh mint sprigs on the stove will create a wonderful freshener to the atmosphere. You can also dry out the mint and use it year-round for a natural, clean scent.
Lavender
Fresh or dried lavender not only promote relaxation and sleep, it produces a wonderful fresh scent and looks beautiful when it's displayed in a vase or even dried and put in a pretty container, alone, or with other dried flowers.
Rosemary
This time-honoured scent has been used for centuries in hospitals as it has antimicrobial properties which cleanse the atmosphere. You can burn sprigs of dried rosemary using an ashtray underneath to create a wonderful, naturally safe, anti-bacterial environment.
Vanilla
Not only does vanilla give a wonderful flavour to our baking, it also has properties that are known to reduce odours. For removing unwanted smells in your living room, try placing 1-2 teaspoons of natural vanilla extract in a small container or saucer basically anywhere you need the air freshened.
Cinnamon, Oranges and Cloves
When simmered together in a pot on the stove, they create a wonderful, citrusy scent throughout the house. Especially useful if your thinking of selling your home as the scent will linger for days, creating a clean, fresh feeling in the atmosphere.
So get ready to say goodbye to musty, stale odors and harmful air-fresheners for good. Simply head to your fridge, cupboards or garden for the ingredients you'll need to start creating a natural, safe environment in your living room. By trying some of these ideas, you'll be sure to never want to put another chemical-laden product in your grocery cart ever again.